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Stock Stain/Finish to go with Laurel Mtn Brown?

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LFC

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For finishing a CVA vaguely-Hawken-type rifle (in kit form), I'm thinking of using Laurel Mountain browning solution for the barrel. I'm not sure of the wood type, but it may be somewhat lighter than dark walnut. What stain and finish would y'all recommend for the wood? (It may be that simple boiled linseed oil will do, depending on how light the wood ends up being; if it's too light, I may want to go with some kind of stain.) Your thoughts?
 
Most of the CVA Hawken type kits I've built and seen have a very light colored wood that IMO requires staining.

I would recommend using an alcohol or water based stain like Birchwood Casey Walnut.

Using a stain of this type, you can apply multiple coats to make the wood quite dark.

If you use an oil base stain I believe you will find that it does not penetrate the CVA stock wood well and it will be quite light in color.
Repeated applicatons of an oil based stain usually just ends up with oilier wood with about the same color and darkness as the first coat produced.
Also, an oil based stain will prevent additional coatings of a alcohol based stain from penetrating the wood due to the oil contamination.

After staining your stock, the final finish will depend on what you can buy and what you want to end up with.

If a non-glossy finish is what you want, 3-5 coats of Boiled Linseed oil rubbed in over a period of a week followed with several coats of Johnson Paste Wax or bees wax will do nicely.

If you want a semi-gloss finish multiple coats of Tung Oil rubbed in to the wood and allowed to dry will look pretty good.

If you want a high gloss finish (or a high gloss finished dulled down to a semi-gloss finish) Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil will give a very nice finish.

Have fun.
zonie :)
 
Zonie is right about the alcohol based stains. LMF also makes a nice set of alcohol based stains. I usually cut them with rubbing alcohol to give me a more conrol of the color. You can order them through TOW or most any of the retailers that stock gun building supplies.
 
What is "Johnson Paste Wax," and where do you get it? And what's the advantage of putting it on after linseed-oiling the stock?
 
Johnson makes a general paste( soft) wax sold in a can that is used on cars, and other objects. You should be able to find it in the automotive sections of hardware stores, and home stores. I also saw a bottle of liquid Johnson Wax, in my Farm & Fleet several years back, but don't know if that is still being sold.

I use Pledge to wax my gunstocks before going hunting, as a last barrier against water for the wood. I think it does help fill in microscopic nicks and scratches in the finish and gives some protection. It just has to be renewed about every other day, or daily if you are caught out in the rain. The paste waxes seem to be a bit more durable, but not much more. I have been given a can of expensive " rennaissance Wax " which I intend to try out on my gunstocks some time. It is sold as a preservative of metal goods, such as tin cups, brass, and copper items, etc. If it works for that, it should also provide an excellent temporary sealer for a gunstock.
 
Paul pretty much covered the Johnsons Wax question. They have been making it for years.

Why did I suggest using it?
Linseed oil is great for use on wood and it brings out the grain very well. It is not very waterproof though.
In fact, if your unprotected linseed oil coated stock gets rained on and the drops are allowed to rest on it for any long period of time, the oil will discolor leaving the locations of the drops visible long after the water has dried or been wiped off.

A coating of wax will protect the oil from the water.

A nice thing about linseed oil is that if it becomes damaged from scratches (or water spots) simply applying another coat will usually repair the damage.

With the "build up" finishes like Tru-Oil such simple repair becomes a fairly major effort.
zonie :)
 
Zonie: I found that denatured alcohol will cut the oil finish on Tru-oil stocks. Then, the finish can be repaired by wiping in a new coat of tru-oil with a finger or two, stretching it thin. I have repaired scratches and dings that way. Its a much easier finish to work with than other oils, or lacquers, or shellacs, or some of the plastics. Tung Oil and BLO work as you have described, but take much longer to dry. If you thin these two oils with a bit of alcohol, the evaporation of the alcohol will help to dry the oil finishes.
 
"...I found that denatured alcohol will cut the oil finish on Tru-oil stocks..."
-------------
Perhaps denatured alcohol (as in the kind that is used for shellac) will cut Tru-Oil but I know that regular Rubbing Alcohol doesn't do a thing to it.

The reason I know this is that my inlays are all installed prior to staining and finishing.
To protect the faces of the inlays I cover them with some Scotch Magic Tape. Because this tape almost disappears and it is easily cut I can then trace the edges of the inlay with a new pointed Exacto knife blade and remove all of the tape which was outside the inlay.
After the stock coating is finished, I then have to remove the Magic Tape but by that time it has decided it likes its new home.
By applying Rubbing Alcohol to the edges of the tape and carefully trying to lift the tape with my pointed knife blade I can get it off. The alcohol seems to slowly unstick the tapes adhesive but it does nothing to the Tru-Oil.

If I need to repair one of my Tru-Oil stocks, I'll give your suggestion a try. :hatsoff:

zonie :)
 
Zonie said:
"...I found that denatured alcohol will cut the oil finish on Tru-oil stocks..."
-------------
Perhaps denatured alcohol (as in the kind that is used for shellac) will cut Tru-Oil but I know that regular Rubbing Alcohol doesn't do a thing to it.

The reason I know this is that my inlays are all installed prior to staining and finishing.
To protect the faces of the inlays I cover them with some Scotch Magic Tape. Because this tape almost disappears and it is easily cut I can then trace the edges of the inlay with a new pointed Exacto knife blade and remove all of the tape which was outside the inlay.
After the stock coating is finished, I then have to remove the Magic Tape but by that time it has decided it likes its new home.
By applying Rubbing Alcohol to the edges of the tape and carefully trying to lift the tape with my pointed knife blade I can get it off. The alcohol seems to slowly unstick the tapes adhesive but it does nothing to the Tru-Oil.

If I need to repair one of my Tru-Oil stocks, I'll give your suggestion a try. :hatsoff:

zonie :)

Don't leave a cleaning patch with rubbing alcohol on it sitting on that finish for any length of time. Zonie. It will dissolve and make the finish " tacky " again to the touch. Nothing that can't be fixed, but its a way to even out a worn spot, or bruise to the stock before refinishing with more Tru-oil. I was aware of Acetone, carbon Tetrachloride, and the other compounds, but am very reluctant to recommend their use unless I think the person understand how to handle and store these harsh chemicals properly. None of this stuff should be left around where little kids can get at it. My father kept paints and thinners, and solvents in a locked metal cabinet when I was little. Only after I was 6 or 7 did he take the lock off, because he decided we are responsible to stay out of that cabinet unless he sent us to find and take to him something that was in it. The stuff all stunk so much I really was not interested in handling or using the stuff at that young age. By the time I was interested in my own projects, I had watched and helped him paint, refinish, and clean up after using all those things so many times that I had the drill down pat. Maybe my father WAS smarter than I thought back then! :blah: :hatsoff:
 

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